We all know that living in North Carolina is wonderful. The State has something for everything and we often talk about how the “rivalry” between Charlotte and Raleigh. But it’s not just those cities that make NC great. Scholaroo created a detailed guide on the best US cities to live in. The report compared 150 cities across 47 metrics distributed in 9 key relevant categories: Crime & Safety, Affordability, Economy, Quality of life, Leisure and entertainment, Healthcare, Education, Employment, and Infrastructure. And in the best 150 cities to live there were four North Carolina cities. And only one of the big two, Charlotte and Raleigh were included on this list.
Additionally moving a little south, the Palmetto State also had four cities make this list. If I had to pick four cities to be included from SC, these would be those four. And the highest ranking city was the one that we always seem to talk highly of (for good reason)- Charleston. The other four cities are wonderful places to call home as well.
Read Scholaroo’s full rankings and analysis here and keep reading to see the North Carolina cities named the best places to live, as well as the NC cities, and the top 10 nationwide.
62. Asheville, NC
Rank Crime & Safety: 82
Rank Affordability: 70
Rank Economy: 74
Rank Quality of Life: 69
69. Charlotte, NC
Rank Crime & Safety: 78
Rank Affordability: 81
Rank Economy: 48
Rank Quality of Life: 94
82. Winston Salem, NC
Rank Crime & Safety: 138
Rank Affordability: 21
Rank Economy: 94
Rank Quality of Life: 55
126. Hickory, NC
Rank Crime & Safety: 69
Rank Affordability: 57
Rank Economy: 96
Rank Quality of Life: 52
11. Charleston, SC
Rank Crime & Safety: 32
Rank Affordability: 109
Rank Economy: 40
Rank Quality of Life: 47
17. Greenville, SC
Rank Crime & Safety: 67
Rank Affordability: 76
Rank Economy: 120
Rank Quality of Life: 38
56. Columbia, SC
Columbia, South Carolina, USA downtown city skyline from Finlay Park at dusk.
Rank Crime & Safety: 106
Rank Affordability: 52
Rank Economy: 137
Rank Quality of Life: 53
74. Myrtle Beach, SC
Rank Crime & Safety: 143
Rank Affordability: 116
Rank Economy: 110
Rank Quality of Life: 35
10. Lincoln, NE
Rank Crime & Safety: 49
Rank Affordability: 39
Rank Economy: 59
Rank Quality of Life: 91
9. Cambridge, MA
Harvard University Eliot House across Charles River, in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Rank Crime & Safety: 24
Rank Affordability: 144
Rank Economy: 24
Rank Quality of Life: 15
8. Papillion, NE
An aerial shot of the Omaha Suburb of Papillion in Nebraska
Rank Crime & Safety: 26
Rank Affordability: 79
Rank Economy: 20
Rank Quality of Life: 144
7. Madison, MS
Mississippi State welcome sign along the US Highway 61 in the USA; Concept for travel in America and Road Trip in America
Rank Crime & Safety: 6
Rank Affordability: 111
Rank Economy: 5
Rank Quality of Life: 24
6. Alpharetta, GA
ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA – September 13, 2019: The Alpharetta Historic District contains several historic buildings dating from the late 19th century and older, and includes dining and shopping.
Rank Crime & Safety: 14
Rank Affordability: 124
Rank Economy: 14
Rank Quality of Life: 107
5. Naperville, IL
Carillon bell tower in Naperville, Illinois at sunset
Rank Crime & Safety: 15
Rank Affordability: 120
Rank Economy: 9
Rank Quality of Life: 119
4. Amherst, NH
Rank Crime & Safety: 1
Rank Affordability: 99
Rank Economy: 13
Rank Quality of Life: 60
3. Portland, ME
Portland, Maine, USA coastal townscape on Portland Harbor.
Rank Crime & Safety: 42
Rank Affordability: 96
Rank Economy: 63
Rank Quality of Life: 37
2. Carmel, IN
Rank Crime & Safety: 8
Rank Affordability: 91
Rank Economy: 17
Rank Quality of Life: 120
1. Naples, FL
Naples coastal neighborhoods aerial drone photo
Rank Crime & Safety: 4
Rank Affordability: 150
Rank Economy: 8
Rank Quality of Life: 11
